"Mom" star Allison Janney is in talks to play Tony Harding's mother in Miramax biopic "I, Tonya" starring "Suicide Squad" star Margot Robbie. She has found another maternal role to play while waiting for the return of CBS comedy "Mom."
The Emmy-winning actress Janney will play the eccentric and tough mother LaVona Golden in "I, Tonya," Variety reported. Robbie was first reported to play the title role. She will also produce along with Tom Ackerley through their Lucky Chap production company with Bryan Unkeless and Steven Rogers, who also wrote the screenplay.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Avengers: Infinity War" actor Sebastian Stan is also on board to play Harding's husband Jeff Gillooly in "I, Tonya." Gillooly and Harding's bodyguard hired a man to break the leg of Harding's main competitor Nancy Kerrigan in the ice skating world.
"I, Tonya" will spotlight Harding's rise through the figure skating ranks and her infamous fall after she and Gillooly plotted an attack on Kerrigan. Harding's involvement in the act eventually led to her lifetime ban from the figure skating world.
"The Finest Hours" helmer Craig Gillespie is directing "I, Tonya." Len Blavatnik and Aviv Giladi will executive produce for AI Film, which is financing and came onto the project in October. Miramax recently landed the rights to distribute with Sierra/Affinity handling international sales.
Besides the upcoming "I, Tonya" film, ESPN's "30 For 30" series did their own Harding documentary which showed her mother an eccentric woman who would do things like talk to her pet parrots. Golden was also particularly hard on Harding, especially during competitions.
Janney will start shooting "I, Tonya" for a couple of weeks before returning to the CBS's "Mom" set and is planning a return to Broadway in "Six Degrees of Separation" next year. She was also recently seen as the detective in Amblin's "The Girl on the Train," starring Emily Blunt. Gersh and Thruline Entertainment repped her.
Watch the video about Allison Janney joining the cast of Tonya Harding film:
